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15 Things About Molar Pregnancies Expecting Moms Need To Know

In life there are few things as cherished as pregnancy, after all pregnancy is all about bringing new life into the world. Of course, not everything about pregnancy is rosy. Along with pregnancy comes some rather unpleasant side effects such as morning sickness and back pain. Then there is the very sad fact that not all pregnancies actually last.

Some women may have miscarriages, or other complications with their pregnancy. There is another issue with pregnancy that is also considerably less than pleasant. This issue is quite possibly not all that well known to lot of women who are trying to get pregnant or otherwise. It is called a molar pregnancy, and it is not talked about all that much.

It probably goes without saying that a molar pregnancy is not a normal, healthy pregnancy. There is, however, much more to it than that, and women should know what that is especially if they are seeking to get pregnant.It is important to explain what a molar pregnancy exactly is. It is also important to point out the signs, symptoms and risk factors that are associated with a molar pregnancy.

15 It's A Benign Tumor

As anyone can imagine, the first thing to know about a molar pregnancy is to know what exactly it is. A molar pregnancy is essentially a tumor. That might sound worse than it actually is. Not all tumors are cancerous, and despite being a tumor, molar pregnancy is not cancerous. That means it is what is called a benign tumor.

A molar pregnancy might not be cancerous, but it is still not exactly good for you. It is never good to have a tumor in your body. A molar pregnancy occurs when the tissue that normally would become a fetus instead becomes an abnormal growth, the abnormal growth being another term for tumor. In other words, instead of a baby forming on the uterus a benign tumor forms. Molar pregnancy is believed to be caused by a problem with the genetic information of an egg or sperm.

14 It Can Be Both Complete And Partial

It is also important to know that a molar pregnancy is not just one kind of condition. It is more complicated than that. It actually comes in two different forms. These types are known as complete and partial molar pregnancy. These two conditions are similar but have very important differences. First, a complete molar pregnancy is one where an egg with no genetic information is fertilized by sperm, but no fetus is formed.

A partial molar pregnancy is somewhat similar. An egg is fertilized by two sperm. After this happens the placenta becomes that molar pregnancy. If any fetal tissue does form it will probably have severe defects. It is likely that neither one of those two types of molar pregnancies are better or worse than the other for the carrier.

13 It Can Come To A Spontaneous End

There can be little doubt that a molar pregnancy is not good to have. Nevertheless, there is some good news when it comes to a molar pregnancy. A molar pregnancy will likely not take much to end. Molar pregnancies tend to end spontaneously.

That means molar pregnancies will likely just end on their own. However, no one should ever take chances with their health. If anyone thinks they may have a molar pregnancy you need to see a doctor. No one should just assume a molar pregnancy will just take care of itself. A molar pregnancy may need to be handled by a doctor. Also, anyone who thinks they may have a molar pregnancy should see a doctor just in case.

12 Bleeding Down There

Since it has been stated that anyone suspecting they have a molar pregnancy, they should visit a doctor; it is important to point out some of the symptoms to look out for. There are actually several possible symptoms of a molar. One such symptom may be a woman bleeding from her vagina. That is especially true if there is no apparent reason for the bleeding.

Granted that might not be all that surprising. It probably goes without saying that any kind of unexpected and unexplained bleeding should be cause for some concern. So if a woman starts any unexpected bleeding it could mean she has a molar pregnancy, especially if she is attempting to get pregnant. Such a thing needs to be taken seriously.

11 An Ambiguous Symptom

Another symptom of a molar pregnancy is nausea and vomiting. The issue is nausea and vomiting can actually be the symptoms of a great many things. Likewise, if a woman is attempting to become pregnant she might be expecting some nausea. However, when it comes to molar pregnancy the nausea and vomiting will likely be severe which can separate it from other medical conditions.

If you do have a molar pregnancy you can expect your stomach issues to be pretty bad. It will likely be worse than any morning sickness a woman might be expecting. That means severe nausea and vomiting should not be ignored or written off as something minor. A woman experiencing bad nausea and vomiting should see a doctor as soon as she possibly can because it could be a molar pregnancy or some other serious issue.

10 Preeclampsia Can Strike

One other symptom of a molar pregnancy is a condition often associated with pregnancy, and any woman attempting to get pregnant is likely aware of it. Early preeclampsia is also a symptom of a molar pregnancy. Preeclampsia is a condition that only occurs during pregnancy. Preeclampsia is largely high blood pressure.

Preeclampsia is not simply limited to a molar pregnancy. It is important to note that preeclampsia is a harmful condition even when a woman has a normal, otherwise healthy pregnancy. It is also potentially dangerous. Even if you know you do not have a molar pregnancy and suspect you may have preeclampsia it is important you see a doctor. It is certainly not something that should be messed around with.

9 The Fetus May Not Move

At this point it is probably pretty clear that molar pregnancies often occur in women that are actually trying to get pregnant. A woman may think she is having a normal pregnancy, but she is actually having a molar pregnancy. If that woman does not have any of the other symptoms of a molar pregnancy there is another tell-tale sign to tell what is going on.

A lack of fetal movement or heart tone is another symptom of a molar pregnancy. Basically a woman is pregnant with something, but it is not a baby unfortunately. If that is the case there is really only one thing that it could actually be. That something is a molar pregnancy.

8 Ovarian Cysts Get In The Way

Something else that might be a possible sign of a molar pregnancy are ovarian cysts. Many women may already be familiar with this condition. Nevertheless, ovarian cysts are exactly what they sound like. They are cyst on or with a woman's ovaries. For the record a cyst is a fluid filled sac or pocket.

Of course, ovarian cysts are not something that a woman will be able to detect on her own. A lab test or imaging are always required to discover ovarian cysts. Likewise, they need to be diagnosed by a doctor. Medication and surgery are used to treat ovarian cysts. This is another symptom of molar pregnancy that needs to be taken seriously.

7 Mom Can Become Anemic

Another possible sign of a molar pregnancy is anemia. Anemia is when a person does not have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to rest of the body. Anemia can make a person feel tired and worn out. Though it can be a sign of a molar pregnancy, both women and men can get anemia.

However, anemia does affect women more than men. Some women may have actually heard of anemia because it is a fairly common condition during a pregnancy that otherwise is healthy. It is yet another thing that is never good to have. If a woman is trying to get pregnant she needs to take steps to avoid anemia, and it should be avoided while a woman is pregnant as well as directly after.

6 Mom Needs Plenty Of Folic Acid

It has been stated what some signs and symptoms of a molar pregnancy are. It is now important to mention the risk factors associated with molar pregnancy. One such risk factor is a low diet in folic acid or carotene. For the record, carotene is a form of Vitamin A.

Likewise, folic acid is a form of Vitamin B. It has been shown that women who do not get all of their vitamins are at a higher risk for developing a complete molar pregnancy. That is yet another reason women should make sure and get all their vitamins. That means that women need to be sure to eat a healthy diet. That is certainly the case if she is trying to get pregnant when her health is of particular importance.

5 Mom's Age Factors In

Many are aware that the older a woman gets, the more risky her pregnancy becomes. This is sad, but true. One of the risks involved is an increased likelihood having a molar pregnancy. Age is a major risk factor in developing a molar pregnancy.

To be specific women that are 40 or older are more likely to develop a molar pregnancy. Any woman that is attempting to get pregnant at the age of 40 and beyond needs to be especially concerned about developing a molar pregnancy. That is not to say younger women do not need to be concerned at all. Molar pregnancy needs to be a concern for women of all ages, but older women men need to be a little more aware

4 A Previous One Means It Can Happen Again

One last risk factor seems to be a rather unfortunate one. If a woman has already had the misfortune of having a molar pregnancy in the past she is not out of the woods. The sad truth is that women that have already had a molar pregnancy are more likely to have them in the future. Of course, this is not entirely unexpected.

Many conditions tend to return once they have already been experienced. Molar pregnancy just happens to be one of them. So women that have already dealt with a molar pregnancy need to be extra aware of the signs and symptoms. Sadly, that would probably not be too difficult since they already know what to look out for.

3 Sonograms Can Give Answers

Now that the signs and symptoms of a molar pregnancy have been mentioned it is important to go into detail of how exactly a molar pregnancy is detected. One way a molar pregnancy is spotted is on a sonogram. When a woman that has a molar pregnancy has a sonogram something that looks like a cluster of grapes will appear. That often signifies an abnormal placenta.

That should not come as too big of a surprise. It was mentioned earlier that the placenta can become a molar pregnancy when it is complete. Sonograms are fairly common for women that believe they are pregnant. If a woman thinks she has a molar pregnancy she needs to consult with her doctor about possibly having a sonogram.

2 A Pelvic Exam May Be Needed

Women may be a little less familiar with the other method of detecting a molar pregnancy. A pelvic exam can also be used to detect a molar pregnancy. A pelvic exam can actually reveal a lot of things about a woman’s health, possibly more than anyone realizes. Many of those things are related to molar pregnancy.

One of those things are if a woman has a smaller or larger uterus. It can also show if a woman has enlarged ovaries. It can also determine if a woman has an unusually high amount of the pregnancy hormone known as hCG. Any one of those conditions could be the result of a molar pregnancy. It is important for women who think they have a molar pregnancy to look into a pelvic exam.

1 It's Actually Quite Rare

Much information has been given about molar pregnancies, and a great deal of it can be concerning. The last thing that everyone should know about molar pregnancies is that they do not occur all that often. Only about 1 in 1,500 women develop a molar pregnancy. That should be comforting to a lot of women because odds are they will not have a molar pregnancy.

Nevertheless, it is important for women to be aware of all the indicators of a molar pregnancy. That is especially true for any woman that processes any risk factors of a molar pregnancy. Women should keep in mind they could be the 1 in 1,500. They should not be fearful, however, but rather be aware.